Mobile app screens dental emergencies

INDIANAPOLIS – A mobile app being developed by the Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University School of Dentistry can capture and transmit images from inside a person’s mouth to provide information on a dental emergency and possibly avoid a trip the hospital. “I see even more potential in nonemergency situations when individuals, particularly those who lack dental insurance, need guidance — do I need to see a dentist or not? It can also be useful in enhancing access to routine dental care,” said Thankam Thyvalikakath, DDS, director of dental informatics core at IU, in a statement. DentaCom guides individuals with real or suspected dental emergencies through a series of questions designed to capture clinically meaningful data via familiar smartphone functions. The app provides the detailed guidance that the dentist needs to determine the urgency of, and appropriately treat, the problem.